The housing crisis in the Netherlands is only getting worse as time goes on. Thousands of protestors have had enough and took to Amsterdam’s Dam Square and Westerpark to protest the current Dutch housing policy.

The protest first took place in Dam Square but then moved to Westerpark due to capacity.

The protestors were speaking out against “exploding house prices, rising rents in the private sector and the shortage of social housing” — reports the NOS.

According to the municipality of Amsterdam, more than 15,000 people attended the protest. ✊

After the demonstration, dozens of people tried to break into a building in Gravenstraat, a street in the Amsterdam city centre. Further violence broke out between officers and protestors.

More protests to come

This housing protest won’t be the last that we will see in the Netherlands. The woonopstand (residential revolt) in Rotterdam is set to take place on October 17.

With many students currently struggling to find accommodation, the outlook for the future of the Dutch housing crisis is not looking any better. In fact, it is so severe that it is expected over 50,000 students might not be able to find housing from 2024. 😔

What are your thoughts on the Dutch housing crisis? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Jelle Jaspar/Supplied

In a government campaign to raise climate awareness among citizens, it has been found that the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) deliberately omitted a call to eat less meat — considering the advice to be too controversial and “politically sensitive.”

The “Everyone does what” campaign started in 2019 as an effort by the government to make citizens more aware of their own contribution to climate change.

The campaign provides tips on small personal changes that individuals can make to prevent global warming, such as properly insulating homes and not travelling by car as often — we know you can do it, Dutchies. 🚲

The campaign also promotes eating more sustainably — choosing seasonal foods more often and wasting less. 🥕 However, the advice to eat less meat was intentionally removed because it was considered too controversial, The Volkskrant reports.

A politically polarizing issue?

Documents requested by the animal welfare organisation, Wakker Dier, show that in April 2019, the subject of eating less meat was removed from the campaign.

“We don’t want to explicitly communicate ‘less meat’” the EZK wrote in internal communication because it is a “politically very sensitive subject”. For a country that prides itself on being super climate-conscious, this seems odd. 🤔

Proven to reduce emissions

Eating less meat is proven to reduce emissions of CO2 which cause climate change. According to the Dutch Government’s Nutrition Center, “by eating 100 grams less meat per week, you reduce your environmental impact by 7-10%.”

Government response

The ministry responded to this revelation by saying that “Everyone does what” was designed to “enthuse citizens to take small steps towards sustainability.” They added, “We noticed that eating ‘less meat’ was a measure that provoked controversy.”

Basically, the Dutch government thinks that advising people to eat less meat will make them reject a more sustainable lifestyle altogether.

What are your thoughts on the Ministry of Economic and Climate omitting the advice to eat less meat from its sustainability campaign?

Feature Image: Arturverkhovetsky/Depositphotos